Government takes second look at car pack facility

By Aabigayle McIntosh

The government will be turning its eyes again on the abandoned car park that sits on the top Independence Avenue.

The National Assests Management Company (NAMCO) will be leading a major rehabilitation of the facility to ensure the building is equipped for use.

Prime Minister Chief of Staff Lionel Hurst told Reporters on Thursday the rehabilitation efforts will commence with the top floor which is expected to accommodate the Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Services at some point.

“The other part of the building which will be housing ABS Radio and Television and it’s social networking media apparatus on the upper the upper floor will be ready in a short time, as soon as the work begins. we think that it will take just a few months to get it all ready,” Hurst said.

A local entrepreneur has also expressed interest in leasing the lower section, turning what was once a dead space into a potential revenue-generator.

“That entrepreneur can engage in business that would make the government have a source of income to help to repay the moneys borrowed to purchase the rundown structure in the first place. The project comes with its challenges — from rewiring the building to installing elevators — but after years of inactivity, there’s finally a light at the end of this tunnel,”

Hurst said the Gaston-Browne led government is trying to make good of an already bad situation.

He stated, “As you know that run down structure was placed there by a previous administration and we had advised against it even though we were in the opposition at the time and they went ahead anyway and you can see that it’s a monument to what I think is just great stupidity. It should not have been placed on the green space in the first place”